TOLEDO, Ohio--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--Marco’s
Pizza has been named the second fastest growing large chain in the
country, according to industry leading publication Nation’s
Restaurant News’ in its newly released 2015
Second 100 annual report. The proprietary census report showcases
up-and-coming brands most resonating with consumers and catching the
attention of competitors.

“This ranking validates the dedicated work of our franchisees, our
management team and all of our employees at the corporate and store
level”

The special report, which ranks restaurant brands Nos. 101-200 by U.S.
system-wide sales and other data, focuses on a smaller, more
growth-oriented universe than the magazine’s annual Top 100 report.
According to the publication, the fastest-growing brands in the Second
100 “paint a picture of what’s next for the restaurant industry.”

With a 41.3 percent year-over-year sales growth, and unit volumes of
$710,000, the company showed a 7.3 percent increase in estimated sales
per unit and has added 141 new restaurants in the latest year – more
than any other Second 100 chain. By emphasizing value and authentic
Italian ingredients, including fresh dough made daily in every store,
Marco’s Pizza offers consumers an alternative to large national pizza
chains and boasts latest year sales of $337.7 million.

“This ranking validates the dedicated work of our franchisees, our
management team and all of our employees at the corporate and store
level,” said Bryon Stephens, President and COO. “It all goes back to
quality product, tremendous people and a culture of accountability that
resonates throughout our system. Those three things work together to
drive system growth and sales.”

With a new location opening every other day, Marco’s Pizza is on track
to open its 700th location before year’s end. A quality
product with high Italian food standards, a strong leadership team and
stable company culture drives unit-level profitability, the ability to
grab market and attract top talent among its franchisees and corporate
staff.

With a management team recruited in part from other successful chains
and from internal promotions, Marco’s Pizza continues to innovate. Even
when financing became harder to obtain, Marco’s utilized creative
strategies like expediting loans to franchisees through personal
guarantee insurance and running its own loan-guarantee program,
Marco’s Assurance, to consistently keep new restaurants in the
pipeline.

Now, Marco’s Pizza is embracing technology and experiencing an average
of 17 percent to 20 percent of sales come through digital channels, with
newer locations seeing digital sales as high as 60 percent.

The pizza segment, overall, is showing healthy growth, with publicly
traded pizza chains seeing same-store growth greater than 6.4 percent in
the fourth quarter of 2014. In addition to snagging the second spot on
the Second 100, Marco’s Pizza has recently received high praise from Forbes.
In the magazine’s annual list of the best and worst franchises in
the nation, Marco’s Pizza ranked as the third best franchise among
chains with entry costs of $150,001 and $500,000.

As the only national franchise chain founded by a native Italian, the
company has made a name for itself in the burgeoning industry as experts
in genuine Italian fare by producing fresh, authentic, handmade pizza,
known for its fresh dough made daily on site, a proprietary cheese blend
that is fresh never-frozen, and a secret pizza sauce recipe.

Headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, Marco’s Pizza (Marco’s Franchising, LLC)
is the fastest-growing pizza company in the U.S. (based on the number of
stores signed into development since 2007). Marco’s was founded in 1978
by Italian born, Pasquale (“Pat”) Giammarco and thrives by making
Italian Pizza with fresh ingredients. The company has grown from its
roots as a beloved Ohio brand to operate more than 600 stores in 35
states, the Bahamas and Puerto Rico. Marco’s Pizza recently took the no.
3 spot in Forbes list of “The Best Franchises to Buy in 2015” for
franchises with an initial investment of $150,000 to $500,000, again
took the no. 3 spot in Consumer Reports’ pizza category
restaurant rankings and was no. 8 on Franchise Times’ “2015 Fast
and Serious” list. To inquire about franchise opportunities with Marco’s
Pizza visit marcosfranchising.com.

DES MOINES, Iowa--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--Marco’s Pizza is targeting the greater Des Moines area for growth. The company has announced plans to introduce 15 locations through strategic franchi... more »